


Warm Touch

by schweinsty



Category: The Eagle | The Eagle of the Ninth (2011)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-07 01:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3155372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schweinsty/pseuds/schweinsty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Esca massages Marcus' aching leg. Short fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Warm Touch

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the comment_fic prompt of: The Eagle, Marcus/Esca, Marcus watches Esca's hands as he massages his injured leg

Nights in the forest are cold, and it makes the muscles in his leg twist and curl and ache, and sometimes it hurts so much he curls up underneath his blanket and can't sleep for the pain.

One night, when he's grinding his teeth together and taking short, sharp breaths, Esca turns over across the fire and looks at him.

"You're awake," Esca says. "Does it hurt?"

Marcus exhales and flops onto his back. The stars stare down on him, steady, from high above the treeline. His breath mists in the air above him and clouds his vision for a moment.

"I am fine," he says, but Esca is already moving.

He kneels by Marcus' feet and pats his thighs until Marcus sets his leg in Esca's lap with a sigh.

Esca settles himself and places his hands on Marcus' leg, just above the angle. He curls his fingers around the flesh, kneading and working the muscle so the pain peaks before it begins to subside.

Marcus looks up at the stars above for a moment, but when Esca doesn't speak, he looks back down. Esca's full attention is on his work; long, bony fingers press in and out, pause as his thumbs rub firmly over a tough knot, carefully massaging the pale, hairy skin.

"You're quite good," Marcus mutters, lacking anything else to say.

Esca 'hmmm's and, surprisingly, doesn't say anything biting in response. He shifts underneath Marcus' leg; the muscles of his thighs ripple under Marcus as he twitches. He digs in hard, suddenly, and Marcus gasps-first in surprise at the sharp flare of pain, then letting it out with a moan as relief spreads through his aching muscles.

He fixes his eyes on Esca's hands again, watching the smooth skin of Esca's palms as they curl and uncurl around him, nimble fingers dancing as they finish off the work, soothing and caressing, almost, now the hard work is done.

Esca merely sets Marcus' leg aside when he's done and walks back over to his own side of the fire without a word. Soon enough his breaths steady and deepen.

Marcus lays still under his blanket, and he stares at the twinkling lights above him and sees pale, bony hands and doesn't sleep for quite some time.


End file.
